One Deputy, Hundreds of Square Miles

[Grumpy]

One Deputy, Hundreds Of Square Miles

Published: May 31, 2010 at 5:39 PM PDT
By David Klugh
YAKIMA COUNTY -- Deputy Steve Sutliff could spend his entire 10-hour shift just running traffic control along Highway 12 or State Road 410. But that choice doesn't exist for this deputy, because at any given moment, he's the only law enforcement officer within 100 miles.

"Over the winter one person handling Chinook Pass and White Pass isn't that big of an issue. But now it's gonna be interesting. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens."

To give you even more of a perspective of just how much area this one deputy is responsible for covering, picture all the way from White Pass to here near Chinook Pass and everything in between. And while back-up for this one deputy could be 2 hours away if it's sitting on the opposite pass you would think that home, property and cabin owners here might actually take offense to the lack of law enforcement. Instead, they're taking it in stride and they're taking action."

"There's no cell phone coverage up here. There's spots where the deputy must go where their radios don't work."

Loren Laskow helps to run a sort-of citizen watch. A recent break-in gave the folks up here the latest example of how they have the deputy's back.

"The deputy came up here and several citizens came up to the house that was a mile off the highway with the deputy to provide him with the back-up."

Deputy Sutliff knows their value. "A lot of them have scanners and if they hear something going down and I don't have back-up they'll show up."

Still, the fact remains, there were four deputies up here last year.

Sgt. George Town confirms it. "We had deputies who were assigned basically around for each pass, Chinook and White as well as we had off road vehicle deputies."

Budget and grant cuts have brought the number of one. During the busy summer season that is bare bones by any measure.

Mike Amos is a local camper. "You got idiots you know that have been drinking, flying by here. The first thing you say is just, where's deputy Steve when you need him? You know he can't be around everywhere."

And as long as those who come to play hard don't get carried away, Sutliff will cover his shift and the hundreds of square miles as the sole cop here... for as far as the eye can see.

[iaccocca]

That is a mess! I witnessed a bad rollover taffic accident up there a few years ago and we had no cell coverage. We had to send a guy on a motorcycle to the firestation to get medics. For at least 1/2 an hour it was just campers, fishermen and wheelers tending to the driver, directing traffic, etc.

[Grumpy]

Satellite phones for the S.O. may be an idea. Dunno what the cost is for one of them critters, tho...